Am I a Candidate for Porcelain Veneers?

Porcelain veneers are a terrific solution to address a wide range of the cosmetic dentistry problems that many patients face. “Veneers are a great option to make your teeth look whiter, straighter, more even, and more attractive,” notes Dr. Charles Nottingham, a Miami cosmetic dentist at South Florida Cosmetic Dentistry. However, not every dental patient is a candidate for porcelain veneers. Below are some of the criteria that cosmetic dentists look for in a porcelain veneer patient.

Multiple Issues: Discolored teeth can be whitened, but you can bleach your teeth and make them look straighter with one straightforward procedure. Also, due to tetracycline staining, or issues where the tooth has lost color because it’s dead, or other reasons, some patients cannot whiten their teeth with bleach and veneers are there only option. Although braces are necessary to fix very crooked teeth, veneers can help with mild crookedness or misalignment. Instant orthodontics procedures can change the shape of the patient’s smile by using porcelain veneers. They can also be used to fix gaps between teeth (diastemas), chipped teeth, and misshapen or unevenly sized teeth. So if you have multiple problems with your teeth, veneers can give you the smile you want.

Healthy Teeth: If you have serious decay issues, gingivitis, cracked teeth, or gum disease, you are not a good candidate for veneers. Dentists cannot place veneers on unhealthy teeth. However, if you treat and correct any serious dental issues, veneers are then an option for you.

No Clenching or Grinding: Patients who severely clench or grind their teeth are not good candidates for veneers. Veneers are not as strong as natural teeth, so they can be chipped or broken more easily by the kind of pressure exerted by bruxism. Some patients who only grind at night may be able to have veneers if they’re diligent about using a night guard which protects the teeth.

Good Tooth Enamel: Porcelain veneers adhere to the enamel on the surface of your tooth. If the enamel on your teeth is mostly gone – or if you have lost a significant amount of the tooth structure – veneers have nothing to bond with and are probably not the best option for you.

Tooth Alignment: Severely misaligned teeth can cause problems for your veneers because the positioning of your jaw when you bite will put excessive pressure on the veneers, causing them to crack or chip. This is particularly true for patients whose lower jaw extends out past their upper jaw. Misalignments can be corrected by braces, but this is a time-consuming process.

A Desire for a Beautiful Smile: Veneers don’t involve multiple dentist visits or procedures which take place over months. They also let you avoid braces while whitening your teeth at the same time. “Veneers are probably the fastest and easiest way to create your ideal smile,” observes Nottingham, a Boca Raton cosmetic dentist. “So if you are unhappy with a couple different aspects of your smile, veneers might be the way to get that smile makeover you’ve always craved!”

Learn More:

To learn more about South Florida Cosmetic Dentistry, visit www.smilesouthflorida.com or call (954) 721-6950 to speak with a team member to learn more about South Florida Cosmetic Dentistry’s free consultations.

About South Florida Cosmetic Dentistry:

The cosmetic dentists at South Florida Cosmetic Dentistry have offices in Broward County and West Palm Beach and provide Boca Raton Dentistry, Fort Lauderdale Dentistry and Miami Dentistry. They specialize in dental aesthetics including porcelain veneers, dental implants, extreme makeovers, Invisalign, and sedation dentistry.

About Dr. Charles Nottingham:

Dr. Charles Nottingham is the lead cosmetic dentist and partner for South Florida Cosmetic Dentistry. In practice since 1974, Dr. Nottingham earned his dental degree from New York University (NYU) and later went on to graduate from the world renowned Pankey Institute for Continuing Education in Key Biscayne, Florida. Today, he continually updates his clinical skills through research and continuing education courses at several prestigious institutions. He is a member of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD), the American Dental Association (ADA), the Florida Dental Association (FDA), and he has received a Fellowship from the Academy of General Dentistry (FAGD).

Dr. Nottingham is internationally and nationally renowned for utilizing a unique combination of dental expertise, technology, and artistry to give patients their dream smiles. He is recognized as “Florida’s Extreme Makeover Dentist” by da Vinci Dental Studios, the dental lab featured on ABC’s Extreme Makeover and Fox’s The Swan. Dr. Nottingham has also been showcased in Dentistry Today Magazine, Contemporary Esthetics, Vogue, Cosmopolitan, and Town & Country, and has appeared on CBS Miami and Plum TV.